Shaking

Shrub

Member
Nov 30, 2018
84
24
Netherlands
Parrots
Giggles - Red Crowned Kakariki
This is prob me just being a little over concerned.
Giggles is shaking a little. It is not noticeable from a distance but if you stand next to her and watch her you just just see it. Maybe I am paranoid? But I know little about birds as is. Never really liked them when I was young, well it was more due to the fact the flapping would freak me out especially if near me.
I looked it up and google said it is common for them to stimulate their muscles with a lil shaking when it is cold (there is a chill) And it is winter and getting cold. I think we keep the house central heating around 20ish Celsius.
I think I feel like a new mother worried about everything new with her newborn child. Would just like to know what you experienced bird ladies and gents opinion might be?
During the day she seemed fine, flying around, checking things out, she got out of her cage a little later today as we werent home til about 4pm after shopping so she didn't get a bath, even though she would go to the sink because that is where she will get a bath. But being colder even with central heating the evenings a little colder I would prefer her not to be dripping wet most the evening...
She has been eating her seeds, shredding the paper in her cage (altho more then usual today)

Sorry I rambled on a little. But since I got her she is kind of like my pride and joy bringing happiness to both myself and my husband.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
I would not consider shivering normal, if that is what it is. Move her away from a window if she is near one. They make the Sweeter Heater a radiant heat panel I'm always talking about. I have used it for 18 years. It's a great safe way to keep your bird warm, hangs outside the cage, and don't cover cage completely when you use it, the small one is about 116 dollars but worth every penny!!!!! They used to Target Avairy keepers but now are marketing them for chickens, but it's safe, but does put out a good amount of heat so I hang on one side low on the cage. Regardless if you think your bird is getting chilled at night you need to take steps to keep her warmer...
 

ChristaNL

Banned
Banned
May 23, 2018
3,559
157
NL= the Netherlands, Europe
Parrots
Sunny a female B&G macaw;
Japie (m) & Appie (f), both are congo african grey;
All are rescues- had to leave their previous homes for 'reasons', are still in contact with them :)
20 is fine actually, as long as there is no draft.
Near windows you can experience "cold air falling down" - it is not a true draft, but chilling non the less (not sure how it translates exactly, we call it "koudeval" / Oh LOL you are dutch, I forgot!)

A bird can handle being wet with that temperature easily (I've had smaller ones bathing in an outside aviary near freezing temp, some birds are insane ;) ), just always make sure he or she is completely dry again before bedtime.

There is no use to overheat your birds, as long as there is a constant temperature (no sudden/ too many swings) they will adapt.
Colder weather -> more food needed to stay warm-- so do not ever just get your bird a certain limited amount (weight) every single day, some days they need more, some days they need less.

Birds shiver not only because they are cold, sometimes is is inner turmoil/ nervousness/excitement.
Sunny gets in a fright response followed by a shiver everytime some idiot sets off some type of firework these days (they are only supposed to use those the last day of the year, but a-holes will be a-holes I guess).
The greys dont care- so I hope she will follow their lead soon.
 
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Shrub

Shrub

Member
Nov 30, 2018
84
24
Netherlands
Parrots
Giggles - Red Crowned Kakariki
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She seems fine dismorning. took her night blanket off she went and had breakfast. She is not near any windows
 

EllenD

New member
Aug 20, 2016
3,979
65
State College, PA
Parrots
Senegal Parrot named "Kane"; Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure named "Bowie"; Blue Quaker Parrot named "Lita Ford"; Cockatiel named "Duff"; 8 American/English Budgie Hybrids; Ringneck Dove named "Dylan"
I would keep a very close eye on her from this point forward...I don't know how much you know about birds and how they purposely hide all outward signs of illness and/or pain, but that's why you have to be very observant in-order to be able to recognize that something is wrong. All birds possess an innate, natural survival instinct that causes them to hide any and all outward signs and symptoms of them being sick or injured/in pain. They do this because if they outwardly appear to be sick or injured, they make themselves and the rest of their Flocks easy targets for predators, as predators always go for weak birds and their Flocks first, like they are "easy pickings". And they retain this innate survival instinct even when bred in captivity and completely tame, so it makes it incredibly frustrating for parrot owners, because by the time we as people see any noticeable outward signs or symptoms that they are sick or in pain, they have usually already been sick or injured for weeks if not months...And that's why it's imperative that the minute we see that our birds are potentially sick or injured, that we get them to either a Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist Vet as soon as possible...

Now is it possible to be "over-concerned" about our birds being sick? I honestly have never thought so, because better safe than sorry in my own opinion...That being said, is a bird that is "shaking" necessarily sick? No. But then again, they might be. So because of this difficulty in recognizing whether our birds are sick or in pain, I always tell people to look for a combination of the most common, general signs/symptoms of illness and pain, and if you see your bird exhibiting any of these most-common outward signs/symptoms, then it's very important to get them to an experienced Avian Specialist for general diagnostic tests and a full visual and physical exam...A fecal culture and microscopy/Gram-Stain should ALWAYS be done whenever an illness is suspected, it is the most-basic diagnostic testing (and also the least expensive), but it tells us an enormous amount of info about their health...And routine Blood-Work should be done on your bird at least once a year anyway, during their annual "Wellness Exam", where your CAV will do a visual and physical exam, full Fecal testing/microscopy on a fresh sample you will bring in with you to your appointment, and then routine Blood-Work should be run, which will tell you whether your bird is suffering from infection, is anemic or is suffering from other nutritional deficiencies/issues, and most-importantly for captive/pet birds, the Blood-Work will also tell you about the health and function of both their Liver and their Kidneys, which with pet birds is a huge deal due to their normally fattier-than-they-should-be diets and a lack of normal exercise (they fly miles and miles every day in the wild to work-off that fat). ***So if you've not ever taken your bird for a yearly Wellness-Exam with a CAV or Avian Specialist (no "Exotics" Vets), then I highly suggest that you start doing this once a year anyway. The other thing this will do is give you your bird's "Baseline" Blood-Work levels, so you'll have these to compare to in the future if she ever does become seriously ill. This is a great resource to have if she is ever in that situation. If you need help finding a Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist Vet near you, we can also help you with that. This is extremely important, because "Exotics" Vets have no extra education or training in Avian medicine, they are simply "willing to see birds", and that just doesn't usually go well, often they end-up making them worse. For example, when a CAV or Avian Specialist Vet does a routine blood-draw on a bird to run Blood-Work, they simply towel the bird and take the blood vials from one of the 2 Jugular Veins in their neck. The whole process take less than a minute and is no more invasive or difficult that when we have blood taken. A CAV or Avian Specialist will not EVER sedate a bird or put them under anesthesia to take Blood from them. However, we see people posting here all the time who have taken their birds to an Exotics Vet or General Vet and they have actually used general anesthesia just to take blood! This is extremely dangerous, irresponsible, unnecessary, and should never happen...The only time a bird should EVER be put under any type of sedation or anesthesia is for an x-ray or other imaging study, or for surgical procedures...And even for the x-ray they don't use anesthesia, they use either a short-acting Isoflurene Gas that lasts for only a few minutes and has no lasting effects at all, or they give either an injection or spray/squirt into their nostrils a very short-acting sedative that also burns-off very quickly...So it's little details like this that make it imperative that you take your bird to a CAV or Avian Specialist for their annual Wellness-Exams.

***As far as your bird's "shaking" right now, it could have been from any number of things. I doubt she was cold, as 20 degrees Celsius (around 68 degrees F) isn't at all too cold for a bird. As already mentioned, it could have been that she was startled by something or she was having a bit of anxiety about something. As long as she doesn't start doing it again or start exhibiting any other sign/symptoms of illness, then I wouldn't worry about it...However, if she starts doing it again or she starts exhibiting any other signs/symptoms of illness, then I'd be getting her to a CAV/Avian Specialist quickly for a complete exam, a Fecal, and routine Blood-Work, just to be safe.

***Just as an FYI, the other common outward signs/symptoms that your bird may be sick or in pain from something are: Any vomiting at all (not normal "regurgitation" of small bits of solid food, but rather vomiting of a larger amount of food and fluid), any loose or watery droppings that are not due to them eating fresh veggies or fruit recently, sudden drop or complete loss of appetite, lethargy and/or sleeping more than usual, suddenly being "fluffed-up" more than usual or all the time, going to the bottom of their cage and staying there (usually because they are weak and cannot balance on a perch any longer), any sudden, constant picking around their vent area and/or the feathers around their vent area (sign of either a GI infection or a Kidney/Renal infection), and any sudden behavior or change in their personality such as suddenly being aggressive/violent or suddenly biting out of nowhere and not wanting to be bothered, suddenly not wanting to come out of their cage or to be with their people.

And if you ever have any questions about anything at all, please don't hesitate to make a post and ask.
 

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